Care for stroke survivors needs to improve

A review has suggested that stroke patients are not being given the best hope of getting better because of a lack of post-hospital care.

A Stroke Association report found that stroke survivors and the people who cared for them faced problems getting the care they needed.

The report found some patients found it difficult to see specialists, while others were not given regular check-ups.

Improvements to care, including scans and treatments, has meant the number of people who survive having a stroke has increased over the last decade.

Over one million people have survived a stroke in the UK, but over a quarter of this number face life with "moderate or severe disabilities".

The Stroke Association's Jon Barrick said data collected from over 2,000 survivors and their carers showed more help was needed.

He explained: "Many stroke survivors tell us that after all the effort to save their lives, they then feel abandoned when they return home. The NHS and local authorities are failing in their responsibilities."

Phil Gray, chief executive of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, said: "We are really concerned about what happens to stroke survivors after they leave hospital."

"There is clear evidence that a significant lack of investment has led to a complete, or at least substantial, absence of services in many parts of the country."